1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for milking animals having at least two milking stalls which are each provided with a movable entrance gate and a movable exit gate and spurring means to drive the animals out of the milking stalls, and a passageway along the entrance gates and the exit gates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such devices are known and are to be found in many dairy farms where cows are milked with automatic milking installations wherein for instance the milking apparatus is automatically removed from the udders and the cows are driven out of the milking stall.
One such device is known from EP-A-0 432 148 which discloses a pusher unit and pusher element for pushing animals from the fenced passageway towards milking stalls or back towards a waiting area. These pushers are used for pushing the animals through sorting gates.
The disadvantage of the known device is that an animal that has been milked may remain standing in the passageway, thereby preventing the next animal walking from the waiting area to the milking stall from being milked. It has appeared that animals may remain standing there although there is no eating or drinking available. This reduces the effective use of the milking stalls which is undesirable.
The invention aims to improve the effective use of the milking stalls and, therefore, the passageway is provided with spurring means for spurring on the animals to an accommodation area.